Nonrefillable bottle



June 2, 1936. J. T. A. WILLCOX ET AL 2,043,138

NONREFILLABLE BOTTLE Filed Aug. 29, 1955 Fig. 1.

1 1977 Ole/Vi) Patented June 2, 1936 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE NONREFILLABLE BOTTLE Application August 29, 1935, Serial No. 38,448 In Great Britain November 9, 1934 6 Claims.

This invention relates to non-refillable bottles and the object of the invention is to provide a simple and effective device of this kind including a body formed to provide a baffle, this body being insertible into the neck of the bottle and being provided with means engaging the upwardly contracted neck of the bottle to positively prevent the removal of the body having the bafile.

A further object is to provide a device of this character having opposed dowel pins mounted in a transverse bore in the inserted body and provide means whereby these dowel pins may be forced outwardafter the insertion of the body -within the bottle neck to thus positively lock the bailie carrying body to the interior of the neck, it being a further object in this connection, to provide locking means which are forced outward when the body is inserted within the neck and which are not resiliently projected, and another object is to provide means for forcing the dowel pins outward to lock the body within the bottle neck, which includes a relatively narrow plug extending upward through the body but permitting the passage Of liquid on each side thereof, this plug being provided With radially disposed passages for the dowel pins and with a longitudinally extending bore whereby a wedgeshaped member may be forced downward initially into the bore to force the locking pins laterally into engagement with the overhanging neck of the bottle, the wedge-shaped member being afterwards withdrawn. 7 7

Other objects will appear in the course of the following description. In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a longitudinal section of the improved non-return or one-way valve device as inserted in a bottle neck but just prior to its being se-v cured or locked in position,

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section of a part of the device as seen on the plane of section 22 in Fig. 1.

Figs. 3 and 4 are sectional plan views taken on the planes of section 3-3 and 4-4 respectively in Fig. 1.

Referring to these figures, it will be seen that the improved non-return or one-way device for non-refillable bottles comprises a tubular casing a of a diameter adapted to permit .ofits insertion into the bottle neck but with its outer end enlarged Somewhat at b preferably in a manner whereby it will conform to the uter end of the bottle neck 0 at a point above the constriction hown at d. At its lower end the tubular casing is furnishedinternally witha seating e for a co-acting valve which may conveniently take the form of a ball 1 and be subject to the control of a light spring a which closes the valve on to its seat when thebottle is in any other than an inverted position.

At its upper end the tubular casing a is fitted With a plug it which supports the spring 9- and permits ample play for the opening and closing movements of the valve. The plug is formed or provided with tortuous passageways to allow the liquid contents of the bottle to flow through it whilst at the same time preventing tampering with the valve as by the insertion of a wire or other instrnrnent. in the example illustrated the lower endof the plug it is cut away to form i ally s d central pa sa e 1 whi from the other endsegments are cut away on opposite Sides of the plug to form lateral passages 7' these communicating with the central passage iby way of apertures is cut through or formed in the plug in a transverse direction.

Nowa prominent feature of the present in vention is the means provided for connecting together the parts .comprisedin the improved non-return valvedevice which means also serve to secure the device in place within the bottle n k- Asm e n e u ul r a n a and he p h a e fo med i h ra ia o diam t al b s .1 adapted t c m i o ister wh hth p u is laced po i w th casing a d p ns or dow ls m are ed in ai b r to on t the plu to the casing- In ad tio the plu s fo med it a a ally d t d b re 11 intersecting the bores Z and a tapered pin or wed e o is provided w ich w d iv hom in the bore will force its way between the dowels m and project then; partially from the bores Z in which hey are situated.

Itshouldbe understood that when the parts are assembled prior to insertion in the bottle the pin 0 is detached or only inserted a short Way into the plug and in this condition the outer ends of the dowels m lieffiush with the surface of the tubular casing a as shown in Fig. 1. Afterthe bottle has been filled with its liquid contents the device as a whole may then be inserted into its required position in the bottle neck, the dowel pins passing to a point below theconstriction d in the neck, whereupon the axially directed pin 0 is driven home in the bore n until its end is flush with the outer face of the plug h. This latter operation forces the. pointed end of the pin 0 betweenlthe dowels m and projects these latter outwardly into positive engagement with the inner walls of the bottle neck at a point below the constriction d, whereby the device becomes fastened securely and held against displacement. Removal of the pin 0 is also rendered extremely difficult if not impossible by reason of its being driven flush with the end of the plug. The non-return or one-Way valve device then operates in a well known manner in rendering the bottle proof against refilling. The bottle neck may be closed by a screw cap, a spring clip cap or any other convenient means.

The device may be subject to various modifications without departure from the essentials of the invention. Thus for example three or more dowels could be employed for fixing the device in the bottle neck instead of two as above described. Furthermore instead of furnishing the outer end of the tubular casing with an enlarged portion the plug may be formed with a flanged end adapted to overhang the tubular casing and engage the outer and flared end of the bottle neck.

We claim:-

1. Means for preventing re-filling of those bottles having necks gradually contracted upward; including a cylindrical body constructed and arranged to be inserted within and fit the neck of the bottle and formed to provide baffles and a valve seat, an upwardly opening valve mounted upon said seat, and means for locking the body within the contracted neck of the bottle including a plurality of radially movable pins carried by the body and movable into position against the inner surface neck below the contraction of the neck andmeans insertible into the body and positively holding the pins from retraction after they are once projected.

2. Means for preventing refilling of those bottles having necks which are gradually upwardly contracted; including a body fitting into the upper portion of the neck and insertible into the neck, the body having a valve seat and formed with bafiles above the seat, an upwardly opening valve on said seat, the upper end of the body being formed with a relatively narrow transversely extending portion having bores extending through the body, and a bore extending axially of said portion and intersecting the first named bores, incompressible dowel pins mounted in said radial bores and adapted to be forced outward against the inner face of the contracted neck of the bottle by an instrument inserted through said axial bore and means insertible into said bore and positively holding the dowel pins pro-' jected.

3. Means for preventing re-filling of those bottles having upwardly contracted necks, including a hollow body insertible into the bottle neck and supported thereby, the body being formed with a valve seat at its lower end and with baflies adjacent its upper end, the upper end of the body having a relatively narrow portion extending upward through the body and. extending transversely through the body and engageable therewith, said portion being formed with radial bores opening upon the outer face of the body, incompressible dowel pins disposed in said radial bores and shiftable through the bores into positive engagement with the upwardly contracted inner face of the bottle neck, said portion having an axial bore extending downward from the upper end of the body and means insertible into said bore after the body has been disposed within a bottle neck, constructed and arranged to wedge the dowel pins outward against the inner face of the bottle neck below the contracted portion thereof, said means when fully inserted in said bore positively holding the dowel pins from retraction.

4. A non-refillable bottle having a neck gradually contracted toward the mouth of the bottle and means for preventing the re-filling of the bottle including a body inserted in the bottle neck and having a valve seat at its lower end, an upwardly opening valve mounted on said seat, a spring urging the valve toward its seat the body above said valve having openings discharging into the space between the neck and the body, the body above said openings being formed to provide a transversely extending web extending diametrically across the neck and fitting against the mouth of the bottle at diametrical points, the web having radial bores and having a longitudinal axial bore intersecting said radial bores, incompressible dowel pins mounted in said bores and having their inner ends disposed adjacent each other, and a wedge pointed element adapted to be forced down through the longitudinal bore and into engagement between the inner ends of the dowel pins to force said dowel pins outward and hold them in positive engagement with the upwardly contracted neck whereby to lock the body positively within the neck.

5. A stopper for preventing the refilling of those bottles having a neck, the neck being gradually upwardly contracted towards the mouth of the bottle; said stopper including a cylindrical hollow body constructed and arranged to fit within the bottle mouth and extend downward into the neck, the lower end of the body being provided with a valve seat, an upwardly opening valve resting upon said seat, a spring urging the valve to its seat, a baffle extending upward within the cylindrical body nearly to the upper end thereof and having openings for discharging liquid from the interior of the body to the space between the neck of the bottle and the bafiie, the baffle having radially disposed passages and a longitudinal bore extending from the upper end of the bafiie and intersecting the said passages, radially disposed incompressible pins carried in said passages, and an incompressible member constructed and arranged to be inserted into said longitudinal bore and engage with the inner ends of said pins and positively force the pins radially outward against the inner surface of the bottle neck below the contraction thereof and positively hold said pins in an outwardly projected position.

6. A stopper for preventing the refilling of a bottle of the character having a neck, the neck being gradually and upwardly contracted towards its mouth, the stopper including a body constructed and arranged to fit within the bottle neck and extend downward into the neck, the body having radially disposed passages and a bore extending from the upper end of the body and intersecting the said passages, radially disposed non-compressible pins carried in said passages, and an incompressible element constructed and arranged to be forced downward into the bore, positively engage the pins to force them outward against the inner face of the bottle neck below the contracted portion thereof and positively hold said pins against retraction.

JOHN THOMAS AMY WILLCOX. GEORGE POOLEY. HUGH MARATELLI BONNAUD. 

